Process of producing tungsten.



lPEHlOE UNITED STATES PATENT oFFroE;

CARL BOSCH AND ALWIN MITTASCH, OF LUDWIGS'HAFEN-ON-THE-RHINE, GERMANY,

ASSIGNORS TO BADISCHE ANILIN -& SODA FABRIK, F LUDWIGSHAFEN-ON-THE- BHINE, GERMANY, A CORPORATION.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING TUNGSTEN.

Ho Drawing.

' To all whom it may concern:

- catalytic agent in the synthetic production of ammonia and it has been discovered that a very finely divided amorphous form of tungsten which is characterized by giving far eater yields of ammonia when employed or the catalytic production thereof and also by being more valuable for other purposes, can be obtained by reducing pure compounds, such as the oxid, halogen compounds, or ammonium tungstate, with hyrogen at a moderate temperature while employmg a pressure of at least ten atmosof about 600 pheres. Durin(gJ the reduction a temperature should not be considerably exceeded. If desired, tungstic acid, ammo-v nium tungstate, and the like canbe reduced L directly in the contact tube by means of the mixture of intro enand hydrogen, provided the above-name temperature of 600 C. is not considerably exceeded, and the catalytic production of ammonia can be immediately proceeded with. If desired, the tungsten can be precipitated or placed on carriers, such for instance as silica and asbestos.

In this application the term tungsten is to be understood as including also a compou'ndsuch as a nitrid, or amid-nitrid, thereof, which 1s also capable of exerting the required catalytic power, since it is difficult to ascertam, when working, whether the tungsten remams as metallic tun sten, or whether and to what degree it may 1% 0 e converted into such mtrid or slmllar compound.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar, 14,1916;

Application filed January 30, 1912. Serial No. 674,412.

600 C. The reduction takes place very ra idly.

xample 2: Fill pure tungstic acid into a contact tube and pass a pure mixture of 3 parts of hydrogen and 1 part of nitrogen over it at a temperature of from 550 to 600 (1, and at a pressure of 150 atmospheres. The tungstic acid is first of all reduoed to metallic tungsten or to a tungstennitrogen compound whereupon the formation of ammonia immediately commences and continues. Any tungsten-nitrogen compound obtained by reduction with. a gas containin nitrogen can be converted into the metal y dissociation in oaouo.

What is claimed, is

1'. The process of producing tungsten which consists in reducing a pure tungsten compound with hydrogen at a moderate temperature and under pressure above that of ten atmospheres.

2. The process of producing tungsten which consists in reducing a pure tungsten compound with hydrogen at a temperature not considerably exceeding 600 (3.. and while employing pressure above that of ten atmospheres.

scribing witnesses.

- CARL BOSCH.

ALWIN MITTASCH. Witnesses A. O. TITTMANN, J. ALEC. LLOYD. 

